Automatic time-recording instrument



(No Model.) I

. H. P. EATON.

AUTOMATIC TIME RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

No. 559,518. Patented May 5, 1896.

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,/: wmees, we r 6% Z16wa2@ F Ear E MY- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIOIVARD F. EATON, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES H.PIIINNEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC TIME-RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,518, dated May 5,1896.

Application filed March 20, 1893- Serial No. 466,826. (N model.)

To (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD F. EATON, of Quincy,county of Norfolk, Stateof hlEtSSEtCllllsetts,have invented an Improvement in AutomaticTime-Recording Instruments, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to automatic timerecording instruments, theinvention having particular reference to the employment ofsuch-instruments in connection with the receiving-instruments of fire,police, and other I 5 signaling systems.

The function of time-recordin g instruments when used in connection withreceiving-instruments, as above referred to, is to stamp or record uponthe recording strip or sheet the time at which a given signal isreceived.

Prior to this invention apparatus have been devised wherein thetime-recording instrument is operated at regular intervals to stamp orrecord the time upon a moving sheet,

whether a signal is being received or not, the particular time at whicha signal is re ceived upon the sheet being determined by refcrence tothe time-stamps at each side of and adjacent to the recorded signal. Insuch an 0 apparatus the continuous movement of the recording-sheet inorder to receive the time stamped upon it at regular intervals,regardless of whether a signal is being received or not, involves auseless waste of the paper 5 constituting the sheet, for the record ofthe time is of no use except in connection with a recorded signal.

This invention has for its object to produce an automatic time-recordinginstrument in which the recording or printing and impression-receivingmembers are intermittingly actuated, one with relation to the other, byan independently-controlled arresting device, but which are preventedfrom recording or 5 stamping the time upon the recording-sheet 7 exceptimmediately before or after the reception and recording of a signal uponthe sheet, so that the recording-sheet need not be moved except at andduring such time as a signal is being received.

This invention in automatic time-recording instruments thereforeconsists in the combination,with printing and impression-receivingmembers and means to automaticallyand regularly move the same, one withrelation to the other, of an arresting device to prevent at times themaking of an impression by said relatively and regularly moving printingand impression-receiving members, substantially as will be described.Other features of this invention will be hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation an automatic time-recordinginstrument embodying this invention, the base being broken away todisplay the printing-type; Fig. 2, a detail plan view of the shield toprevent the recording of the time upon the recordingsheet, and Fig. 3 adiagram view showing one manner of connecting the time-recordinginstrument with a signal-receiving instrument.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the base of a time-recordinginstrument of the class shown and described in United States Patent No.224,666, dated February 17, 1880, to which reference maybe had, saidbase containing suitable type or printing disks K L, rotated by a clockmechanism contained within the base to indicate, in connection with aseries of fixed numerals on the bed, the time of day, and a type orprinting ribbon extending over the faces of the said numerals and disks,all as in the patent referred to.

A curved arm a, standing up from the base, supports the electromagnet orsolenoid b, the hollow core of which receives the armature I), providedat its lower end with a printing plate or member 79 adapted, as hereinshown, to be depressed upon a recording-sheet 8, passed between it andthe printing-ribbon, as shown, to cause the type and the disks on thebase, which in the present instance constitutes the impression-receivingmember of the instrument,to act through the type-ribbon to stamp thetime upon the recording-sheet. A spring (not shown) retains the armatureof the magnet and the printing member 19 normally in their elevatedpositions, as shown. A shield c is pivoted at c to swing under theprinting-plate b to arrest the latter in its movement and prevent thesame making an impression upon the recording-sheet when it descends, thesaid shield having a lug 0 which, when the shield is swung beneath theprinting-plate, is interposed between the base A and an ear b on theprinting member to prevent the latter being depressed. The shield ismoved to withdraw the lug c from beneath the ear b in the printing-plateby the armature d of an electromagnet d, said armature being pivoted atd and connected by a link d with the shield, as represented in Figs. 1and 2, attraction of the armature turning the shield on its pivot in thedirec* tion of arrow, Fig. 2, to withdraw the shield from beneath theprinting member The armature d is also connected by a link 61 with onearm of a bell-crank lever e, pivoted at e, and having its other armjointed to the lower end of a vertical rod c provided at its upper endwith a hook e normally lying behind the inclined surface of a finger 6(See Fig. 1.) A spring 6 acts to depress the rod 6 to the right and holdthe same frictionally against the finger.

Referring to Fig. 3, f represents the receivin g-relay of asignaling-circuit of any kind, its armature controlling a local circuitf, containing a receiving-instrument F,of which f represents a shaftforming a part of the mechanism for feeding the recording-sheet beneaththe marking-pen when a signal is being received and recorded by theinstrument. This shaft f in the present construction has fixed to oneend a contact-wheelf which at each revolution contacts with the pen f tomomentarily close a local circuit 9', in which is included theelectromagnet (Z of the timerecording instrument.

The actuating magnet or solenoid Z) of the time-recording instrument isarranged in a local circuit h, which is closed at regular intervalssayevery five minutesthrough a contact-pin h, cooperating with the teeth011 a wheel 7L2, forming part of or moved by the clock mechanism withinthe base A.

The operation of the device is as follows, viz: The wheel 7L2, rotatedby the clock mechanism, closes thecircuit h at regular intervals,causing the magnet 12 to be energized at each closure to intermittinglyattract or pull down its armature b to depress the printing member 12upon the recording-strip of the receiving instrument F, which strip ispassed between the printing member and the printingribbon lying on topof the type or impressionreceiving member of the device. The shield 0,however, lying beneath the printing-plate and between it and therecording-sheet, prevents the printing member from making an impressionupon the sheet, the lug c on the shield arresting the downward movementof the printing member. WVhen, however, a signal sent in from one of theboxes in the signaling-circuit is being received and recorded by thereceiving instrument F, the feeding mechanism of the instrument will beset in motion in usual manner to feed the sheet through the instrumentto receive the signal, said sheet at the same time being thereby alsofed through the time-recording instrument. Then the shaft f has nearlycompleted a revolution, the contact-wheel will contact with the pen fand momentarily close the circuit g to energize the magnet d, causingthe latter to attract itsarmature d and remove the shield c and its lugc from beneath the printing member 12 and permit the latter upon itsnext regular downward movement to stamp the recording-sheet down uponthe printing ribbon and type and record the time upon the sheet. hen thearmature d is attracted to remove the shield c from beneath theprinting-plate, the rod 0 is, by the same movement. drawn down and awayfrom the finger 6 the spring (2 throwing the rod forward as it leavesthe finger into the path of movement of the lug b on the upper end ofthe armature Z) of the magnet Z), which lug upon the next upward orreturn movement of the armature will engage the hook e on the rod, liftthe same, and return the armature d and the shield c to their normalposition, Fig. 1, the finger 6' drawing the up er end of the rod backout of engagement with the lug Z1 as the latter reaches the end of itsmovement, the action of the spring 6 pressing the rod against the fingerretaining the rod and shield in such positions until again moved by theattraction of the armature d.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the printing plate or member 13is operated intermittingly without reference to the reception of asignal; but that it will not stamp the time upon the recording-stripunless the shield or arresting device 0 is first removed from beneathit, when upon its next subsequent downward movement it will cause thetime to be stamped upon the strip.

This invention is not restricted to the particular construction orarrangement herein shown, as the same may be varied and still comewithin the scope of the invention.

The invention, broadly, is applicable to any kind or form oftime-recording mechanism, and may be connected to and operate inconnection with any receiving instrument other than that shown, the gistof this invention being set forth in the claims appended to thisspecification.

I claim 1. In an automatic time-recording instrument, the combinationwith printing and impressionreceiving members, and means toautomatically and regularly move the same, one with relation to theother, of an arresting device to prevent at times the making of animpression-by said relatively and regularly moving printing andimpression receiving members, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic time-recording instrument, the combination with anintermittinglyactuated printing member, of an independently-actuatedarresting device adapted to be put into and out of position between theprinting member and the recording-strip, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic time-recording instrument, a printing member actuatedautomatically and constantly at predetermined intervals and anelectromagnet to actuate the same, combined with an arresting deviceindependent of the said actuating-magnet for and to prevent therecording of the time by said printing member, and an electromagnet tocontrol said arresting device, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic time-recording instrument, an electromagnet, itsarmature, and a printing member moved thereby, combined with anarresting device, an electromagnet to move the same beneath saidprinting member, said arresting device being removed therefrom bymovement of said armature, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic time-recording instrument, a base, the type-disks K,L, the printing member b and a magnet to actuate the same, combined withan arresting device a, the electromagnet cl to move the same, and therod 6 all to operate, substantially as described.

6. An automatic time-recording instrument having a printing memberactuated automatically and constantly at predetermined intervals,combined with a signal-receiving instrument, and an arresting device forthe printing member controlled by said receiving instrument to preventthe said printing member making a record upon the recording-sheet,substantially as described.

7. An automatic time-recording instrument having anintermittingly-actuated printing member, and an arresting devicefor andto prevent said printing member making a record upon therecording-sheet, combined with a signal-receiving instrument, andconnections intermediate the same and said arresting device whereby thereceiving instrument when receiving a signal acts to remove saidarresting device to permit said printing member to record the time uponthe recordingsheet, substantially as described.

8. An automatic time-recording instrument having anintermittingly-actuated printing member, an arresting device to preventthe said printing member making a record, and an electromagnet toactuate said arresting device, combined with a signal-receivinginstrument and a circuit-controller actuated thereby to change thecondition of the circuit of said electromagnet to cause the latter towithdraw said arresting device to permit the printing member to make arecord, substantially as described.

9. A signaling-circuit or signal-receiving instrument, acontrolling-magnet therefor arranged in said circuit, combined with anautomatic time-recording instrument having a printing memberautomatically and constantly actuated at predetermined intervals, and anarresting device controlled by the condition of the saidsignaling-circuit, to prevent the making of a record by saidtime-recordin g instrument when a record is not desired, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

IIOWVARD F. EATON.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK L. EMERY, EDWARD F. ALLEN.

